Dentist Sues to Bar Airing of ’60 Minutes’ Interview

A Los Angeles-area dentist filed suit Wednesday to bar the scheduled Sunday broadcast of a “60 Minutes” interview that he contends he was deceived into granting.

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, Dr. Howard M. Stein claims that he agreed to be interviewed by CBS television reporter Diane Sawyer only after a “60 Minutes” producer promised him that it would not be a “hatchet job” or an “ambush.”

Stein of Huntington Beach, who operates clinics in Bellflower and West Covina, contends that producer Suzanne St. Pierre told him the subject of the interview would be about “the changing face of dentistry.”

Instead, the lawsuit says, during the Nov. 13 interview, Sawyer asked Stein to answer accusations of shoddy and needless dental work, filing false insurance claims, misdiagnoses of patients, double billing and overbilling and a failure to supervise his staff, among other charges.

“Dr. Stein was surprised, shocked and outraged by these unexpected allegations, which were and are false,” the lawsuit says.

With the cameras rolling, the suit says, Stein was forced to choose between ending the interview and appearing evasive or trying to rebut the charges.

Although he chose to defend himself on camera, Stein later complained to St. Pierre that the interview was unfair.

The suit says the producer replied that she alone would be the judge of the interview’s fairness and suitability for broadcast.

The suit seeks a temporary restraining order to bar the broadcast and unspecified damages. U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer is expected to hear the request this morning.

A CBS attorney, Thomas P. Newell, said Stein’s demands were a violation of the network’s constitutional rights.

Oppose Request

“We intend to vigorously oppose the request . . . on the grounds that it is prior restraint, a violation of CBS’ First Amendment rights,” he said.

Newell declined to comment on Stein’s specific allegations, saying he had yet to read the suit.

Stein says he has been practicing dentistry in the Los Angeles area for more than 30 years.

Neither the dentist nor his attorney, Brian Gough, could be reached for comment Wednesday.